Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sfantu Gheorghe and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfantu Gheorghe: $806 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Sfantu Gheorghe
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Sfantu Gheorghe Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Sfantu Gheorghe

🇷🇴 Romania

$806

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sfantu Gheorghe and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sfantu Gheorghe and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $806 per month in Sfantu Gheorghe vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sfantu Gheorghe $806
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,290 per month in Sfantu Gheorghe vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sfantu Gheorghe $1,290
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $1,773 per month in Sfantu Gheorghe vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sfantu Gheorghe $1,773
Istanbul $3,212

Sfantu Gheorghe is about 47% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sfantu Gheorghe sits 40% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.25 RON 39.46

$11.81 ₺592

-30.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.14 RON 201

$54.9 ₺2,754

-23.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.37 RON 35.25

$9.26 ₺465

-20.41%

Cappuccino

$2.48 RON 11.85

$4.30 ₺216

-42.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.90

$1.77 ₺89.0

-30.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.96

$0.56 ₺28.32

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 RON 12.10

$4.69 ₺235

-46.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 RON 9.98

$7.12 ₺357

-70.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 RON 6.77

$1.25 ₺62.7

13.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RON 5.61

$0.88 ₺44.17

32.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.63

$2.20 ₺111

-36.82%

Eggs

$3.29 RON 15.72

$2.43 ₺122

35.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 RON 38.63

$10.48 ₺526

-22.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 RON 21.44

$5.31 ₺267

-15.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.08 RON 38.60

$21.10 ₺1,058

-61.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 RON 4.94

$1.86 ₺93.1

-44.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.07

$2.30 ₺115

-35.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.81

$1.22 ₺61.0

-0.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.15

$1.80 ₺90.2

41.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.39

$0.69 ₺34.83

2.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 RON 3.10

$0.64 ₺32.16

1.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 RON 4.71

$1.36 ₺68.0

-27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RON 3.54

$0.58 ₺28.94

27.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 RON 22.70

$2.34 ₺117

102.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 RON 34.62

$13.03 ₺653

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 RON 4.59

$2.36 ₺118

-59.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 5.15

$3.32 ₺166

-67.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 RON 4.20

$0.88 ₺44.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.50 RON 74.1

$66.1 ₺3,316

-76.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 RON 4.33

$1.28 ₺64.4

-28.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 RON 4.18

$0.85 ₺42.80

3.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.16 RON 43.79

$11.09 ₺556

-17.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 7.42

$1.48 ₺74.0

4.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.5K RON 136.2K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-41.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K RON 123.3K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-38.57%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$114 RON 546

$92.7 ₺4,650

23.30%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.20 RON 43.95

$11.20 ₺562

-17.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.38 RON 59.2

$15.89 ₺797

-22.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.46 RON 193

$74.7 ₺3,745

-45.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 RON 98.8

$22.95 ₺1,151

-9.98%

Cinema Ticket

$3.21 RON 15.35

$8.05 ₺404

-60.12%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$447 RON 2,139

$948 ₺47.6K

-52.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K RON 48.7K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-72.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.06 RON 125

$53.9 ₺2,702

-51.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.55 RON 64.8

$41.49 ₺2,081

-67.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.24 RON 188

$101 ₺5,060

-61.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.7 RON 295

$91.3 ₺4,580

-32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$287 RON 1,373

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-71.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 RON 989

$625 ₺31.3K

-66.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 RON 2,549

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-73.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 RON 1,889

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-64.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,875 RON 8,962

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-37.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,321 RON 6,312

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-23.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$689 RON 3,291

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-39.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

40.42

-83.30%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: October 31, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sfantu Gheorghe

$207 25.7%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 202% $418

Groceries & Markets

Sfantu Gheorghe

$185 22.9%

Istanbul

$258 17% 39.8% $73

Eating Out

Sfantu Gheorghe

$144 17.9%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 53.6% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sfantu Gheorghe

$136 16.9%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 11.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Sfantu Gheorghe

$63 7.9%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 105% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Sfantu Gheorghe

$47 5.8%

Istanbul

$91 6% 93.6% $44

Getting Around

Sfantu Gheorghe

$24 3%

Istanbul

$75 5% 209% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $287 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $1,014 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 65% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Sfantu Gheorghe versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $258 – making Sfantu Gheorghe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Sfantu Gheorghe

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

22:55 10:55 PM

1 h ahead of Sfantu Gheorghe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,006

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sfantu Gheorghe Istanbul 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sfantu Gheorghe
Istanbul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sfantu Gheorghe vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,209 per month in Sfantu Gheorghe and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sfantu Gheorghe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $447 per month in Sfantu Gheorghe and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sfantu Gheorghe, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Sfantu Gheorghe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sfantu Gheorghe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sfantu Gheorghe. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.